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Stopping the Cramping – Dissecting Kyle’s Food Journal

He’s the UC’er (yes we’re still going to call him that even though his diagnosis was recently changed to Crohn’s which is the big cousin of UC in the IBD family of fun) who’s living up in Washington state with his wife. And, most importantly, he’s gone from healthy to sick, then to several different medications, and now he’s predominantly treating his IBD with diet. The SCD diet. (Kyle’s previous stories can be found here if you want to start reading his stories from the very beginning)

He done real well with it, but like many people, he still has a few hurdles he needs to overcome to be feeling how he wants to feel. There’s this cramping feeling that just won’t seem to go away, and basically, as you might guess….he’s sick and tired of it.

So, I asked him to follow up with me from his previous post, with a detailed summary of exactly what he’s eating and drinking. And, in true Kyle fashion, he took the next several days and put it all down in his journal. And he’s doing us all a pretty big favor by allowing everyone to see what it is he’s doing, and now maybe we can give him some pointers.

I told Kyle I’d go through his food journal and post my ideas/feedback for him and for anyone else. So, read on to what Kyle wrote, and if you have any input or ideas, please let your ideas be known as Kyle is almost there in feeling 100%. For more information on the SCD diet, you can read the SCD diet basics post, I wrote several years ago with my take on how eating can calm and eventually eliminate the digestive disruptions that lead to UC symptoms.

Kyle wrote to me the below text via email two days ago:

I notice the cramping at all times, it usually gets more intense as the day wears on, could be because I am eating throughout the day and food passing through brings about the cramping. But who really knows? Below is a list of the meals that I ate throughout the weekend.

The cramping for me isn’t a new thing, it has been going on throughout the entirety of my walk with Colitis and then now into Crohn’s. It has been less severe and obviously during flares it has been more, but I really have never been without it in the two years I have been walking with IBD. If you have any insight or ideas I am open to things.

I started the SCD fully back in November and have been strict to it ever since. I followed the phase list that Jordan and Steve put together on SCDlifestyle.com, waiting 3-4 days when introducing each food. The hard part for me is the cramping has been with me the whole time so it is hard to figure out what could cause what, because I have always had the same feeling. None the less, I feel it gave me gut full healing time. Thanks so much for being will to help. I appreciate it very much. Chat with you very soon!

Morning: two eggs with small pieces of red onion cooked in organic coconut oil with a ripe banana (Yellow with brown spots) and four strawberries and a glass of apple juice (not from concentrate, half water and juice)

Meal Plan Review

Kyle, thanks again for sharing everything, and I have a few ideas on what I would do if I was in your shoes. There’s a few different routes you could take, so look them over and see what sounds the best, or try them all out. Everyone’s body is different at the end of the day, and there’s no silver bullet that is a one size fits all when it comes to diet control of UC (or Crohn’s), so seeing what works for you is key.

Idea #1:

Eliminate the Apple Juice and substitute for water. (Yes this is going to drop your calorie intake, and I’m sure the apple juice tastes great, but I would give that a try. I for example can tolerate orange juice much much better than apple juice, and I learned this early on with a juicer, juicing my own apples.

I would also eliminate the apple chips for the time being and change out to watermelon to eliminate them completely from your diet in this testing phase

Idea #2:

Eliminate the eggs from your diet completely. There is a decent size group of people who have trouble digesting eggs, and this is by no means limited to people with IBD, it spans across the globe for that matter IBD or not. So, if that is an issue for your system, by eliminating that, and I would recommend swapping them out with some other protein like chicken fillets (for example) or maybe a fillet of fish for the time being, that may also be an easy way to determine if you are having negative reactions to eggs. I know this may sound like no way to start the morning, with chicken or fish, but you for sure wouldn’t be the first to give this a try, and if you can get closer to figuring out what is troubling you on the cramping side of things, I think it’s well worth it.

I would also remove the nut butters/nuts from your diet completely until you have removed the cramping feelings. Whatever you lose in terms of calories from that I would make up with an increase in protein some other way from your other meals(i.e. more chicken/fish).

As for drinks, if you can stick with just water while figuring things out, great. I would add a squeeze of lemon into your morning water. Lots of good stuff in lemon that I think too many people forget about (and heck, there’s a UC’ers daughter in San Fran who absolutely swears by it for his daily morning drink along with apple cider vinegar (1 tablespoon) and teaspoon of baking soda…:) But in the end, I think there is nearly zero chance of lemon juice in the water hurting you, I am yet to hear from someone who has been certain it was a negative…

Overall, I think you must be real close to having a happy digestive system, and I can for sure why you’re frustrated since you do follow the rules of SCD eating to a very high degree.

I realize you are taking some supplements (and a pred taper at the moment) and probiotics as well. You might also want to consider some raw sauerkraut which is packed full of probiotics (you can even just drink about a shots worth of the brine to get your fix), and that may also benefit you like it has many others.

There are my ideas, and these are the things I’d be thinking about if I was in your shoes. One thing for sure, don’t lose hope that you’ll get your body figured out. Awesome success is always just around the corner when things aren’t going well. And for sure please realize that I’m writing you today on my 5th anniversary of controlling my UC with diet, as I’ve been following the SCD diet for a full on five years now this August. Don’t get me wrong, it has not always been a super smooth battle, I’ve had some ups and downs. But I’ve learned along the way the limits of my body, and I’m so confident that many others can do the same if this type of IBD management is what they/you are looking for.

I read something about seasoning with pepper. If you mean the pepper that spice then you must be kidding me. I am 18 years experienced Uc, and Using pepper or spices is the most prohibited item in my menu. Also I think coconut oil is heavy on our intestine, UC people I mean.

I have Colitis since 2008 and it has been fairly aggressive in that time. One thing I have learned for definite is that what we eat is pretty much our biggest problem. Of course our docs will tell us a different story.

I notice you eat a lot of raw fruit and drink fruit juice. You also eat tomato.

These are all very acidic and I would strongly suggest you knock all of that stuff on the head for a couple of weeks to see if that would solve your problem. I would be surprised if it doesn’t.

I was only going to comment on the amount of fruit you are eating. That’s a great deal of sugar. Yes I know fruit is natural and has other nutritional benefits. However, fructose can cause a great deal of acidity and if fruit is not eaten on an empty stomach with no other food groups, there can be problems in digesting the fruit fully.

I like to drink a mug of hot water first thing in the morning. It helps with cramping I find. I sometimes squeeze some fresh lemon juice in it. This actually can help nutrilize acidity if that’s ever a problem.

I’ve also found deep breathing exercises and yoga help with abdominal cramping.

If after trying Adam’s suggestions, you still have cramping, go banana free for a couple of weeks and see if that makes any difference. I’ve been SCD for ten years now and I still have to watch my banana intake (and I never drink apple juice). I’ve found that if they’re baked or cooked in something I’m ok but too many days in a row eating raw bananas gives me an achy gut. Also, one thing I’ve noticed about Americans since going SCD: they eat their bananas green (meaning yellow). Don’t eat them until most people would throw them out, that’s when they’re fully ripe and free of starch (and oh so sweet). Yellow with a few small brown spots isn’t ripe enough (especially in the early stages when you’re figuring this thing out). Wait until they are covered. I mean covered! with so many brown spots they outnumber the yellow.

Good feedback from Adam about what foods to eliminate. While it is a start, I feel that it is like shooting in the dark. You have to understand that even though you eliminate one food, you have to be aware of the food group it belongs. For instance, nightshade group contains tomato and peppers.

I had the opportunity to have a doctor suggest taking a food sensitivity test (I followed Paleo at the time). I knew prior to taking the test that I had a likelihood of gluten and dairy sensitivity. Well, the test confirmed those two things yet on the latter I was shocked when it was really casein protein was truly my ‘red alert’ reaction. Another shock was that spinach is a moderate intolerance. And at the time I was eating this veggie ALOT (and wondering why I never felt right). Depending on the testing facility that is used, you receive a document and a food plan (this is NOT an ad just providing as information…this facility did my test thru my doctor…http://dunwoodylabs.com/index.php/profiles/c3d-food-sensitivity/) . Make sure your health insurance provider covers the testing.

Wish you well Kyle. It is annoying when you are ‘thisclose’ to remission.

Some people have specific food sensitivities that can be tested with blood testing. When your gut is leaking it can create these sensitivities that may cause cramping or trigger a flare. If you test for your personal food sensitivities, it may take the mystery out of the equation. It does cost about $250 and insurance doesn’t cover it, at least ours doesn’t but for us it’s been worth it! Best to you! Monica

Hi there Kyle.
I have found (many people I know with UC) that when you are have a flare (cramping, blood, lose stools…) that going completely bland in small portions during the day (white rice, plain chicken – no skin, plain turkey – no skin, plain fish – no spice, white bread with just a little butter, plain white potatoe – no skin, plain egg – no spice ), water, some Gaterade works WONDERS!! It allows the gut to settle down and the inflammation to stop. For the first 24 hours, I eat very little and give my belly time to relax, then I gradually increase. A friend told me about this when I was in tears one night not knowing what to do. She said “Here’s what to eat when you are flaring, here’s what to eat when you are well, and here’s what never to eat.” I follow it and it is absolutely amazing!!! Think about it, when you have an open cut the last thing you want to do is rub anything hard on it. It’s the same with the colon. When you are bleeding/cramping try stopping all hard foods and spices until you are cramp and blood free. Usually only takes a day or two for me. Then in general considering eating only soft, non gassy foods as a rule – especially when flaring. I have to be careful with veg’s and fruits. Only certain ones, non gassy, soft, no spice, and no peels. Lastly, avoid stress! I’m telling you…. it’s been amazing for me!! Good luck and hope this helps! Deb :)

There is actually a reason for this, I seen a study a while back where bland diets actually foster better bacterial diversity in the gut because varied diets favour a specific set of multifaceted bacteria that can break down anything.

Firstly, thanks for posting the information, always fascinating to see what others are eating and what works. Hope you find what you’re looking for, and improve. Keep on fighting though, I believe you’re on the right track with diet as an approach.

The thing that screams out to me (if this were my diet) is the Onion. I can’t tolerate it at all, and from what I’ve read, neither can many others. Whether it’s because of its high FODMAP content or perhaps it doesn’t break down easily, but either way it’s explosive.

Secondly, as Juliet mentions, there’s a lot of fruit. I’d love to eat more fruit, but it too is a minefield. Anything with indigestible skins or seeds is a no-go, so that’s Grapes, Blueberries, Tomatoes for starters. Tomatoes are generally bad for me anyway, even without the skins, as unfortunately are Apples, even as applesauce.

If you’re nightshade intolerant (which I am), then the Peppers might also be an issue, but that’s more of a long shot.

I’m a tough case though, so all the above might be fine for you. I’m completely fine with all eggs and nuts though, eating nuts in industrial quantities.

The one constant is that everyone has individual requirements. The best bet is to keep it simple, and build up slowly. Find a solid base that works for you, then add one food at a time. Sounds boring, and it is, but it’s the only way that works.

Cramping is the WORST isn’t it???
So I have a few thoughts for you, isn’t it a great guessing game we all have to play?

1 – get tested for food allergies/sensitivities. Sometimes bodies are allergic to the most random things. I had just been suffering for the last 15+ months and my problems were manifesting as urinary issues. And it ended up being an irritation due to a food allergy. Turns out I am allergic to dairy and peppers (all kinds of peppers – bell peppers, hot peppers, etc). It’s worth a try!!! I have cut out dairy and peppers and I am feeling much better, the urinary issues have gone way down, but I still want to do more food allergy testing, because I suspect there are other things still…

2 – I agree with the comments of others about fruits. Some fruit is really high in natural sugar (fructose) and our bodies just can’t take it. Personally I cannot eat watermelon anymore (even though it’s delicious). It causes me lots of pain and cramping. I also agree with the suggestion to drink water instead of apple juice.

3 – Where are you getting your fruits and vegetables from? This is an unpopular idea sometimes, but some people’s bodies are way more sensitive than others. I happen to be one of those people. My body is completely intolerant of all sorts of different chemicals, pesticides, insecticides, fluoride, etc. You could try swapping conventional grapes and strawberries for organic grapes and strawberries. Depending on where the grapes are coming from, they might be doused in pesticides and other things… same goes with the strawberries… LOTS of pesticides are used on strawberries and in some places, they use a chemical to keep them red (and I am allergic to that chemical). So maybe your body is not reacting to the food itself, but the chemicals put on and in the food (that most of the time cannot be washed off). And of course, maybe the crops were sprayed with Round-Up and it’s wonderful ingredient glyphosate that causes all sorts of health issues — we should all avoid that one as much as possible!
You could also try drinking filtered water. And by that I mean, not city water that has been fluoridated. Brita filters and other filters do not remove fluoride… you have to get water from a spring or a reverse osmosis filtration system. Just another thought… my UC goes CRAZY when I ingest fluoride…

4 – How about non-food factors… You’re eating SCD, but are all your household products SCD friendly? Lots of shampoos, soaps, shaving cream, body products, etc have gluten in them and all other kinds of crazy things… check your dish soap and laundry detergent and literally everything you have in your house. You never know what it could be. I would also recommend getting a shower filter so that you are not absorbing so many chemicals through your skin. They are not too expensive – like $30 online, so it’s totally worth it…

So I would try switching to organic, if I were you… and also, coconut water has worked for me for cramping in the past, I know others have tried it and it hasn’t worked, but it really was a God-send for me! It’s hard to find a brand now that doesn’t add sugar… but when you’re looking, try to find not from concentrate and no sugar added.
Keep us posted!

The first thing that came to my mind when I read the e-mail in my inbox is: he’s probably not eating enough fat.

I have plenty of reason to believe that most Americans aren’t advocates of good fats (avocado, coconut oil, grass-fed butter), however, I learned that increasing the amount of good fat in my diet works wonders for my stomach. Also, what I have to say about the lady who suggested eating meats with as little fat as possible: there is a doctor who claims that it is precisely these animal fats that help heal your gut (GAPS, short for Gut and Psychology Syndrome, written by Natasha Campbell-McBride). Often the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fats is something lik 1:16 while this should be 3:6. She claims this is why people get problems, as there is too little saturated fat to digest the unsaturated fat (something like that). Also, the Swedish have recently published a report which concluded more fats should be eaten. I personally think Scandinavians in general are super healthy, so I think this report is worth a read too (link: http://healthimpactnews.com/2013/sweden-becomes-first-western-nation-to-reject-low-fat-diet-dogma-in-favor-of-low-carb-high-fat-nutrition/ AND http://www.dietdoctor.com/swedish-expert-committee-low-carb-diet-effective-weight-loss)!

Anyhow, I’m not a doctor, I’m totally going by the experience I had with this diet, which after three months sent me into remission. I had no problems whatsoever nor was I taking any medication at any point (I did have a check up with my doctor after this :)).

I suggest reading this book, which will tell you which foods will probably be too much for your stomach right now, e.g. the dried fruit, the fruit bar, bananas, crispy bacon and in case you have an allergy, this could include eggs as well. Later you could re-introduce them.

Lastly, you might want to read up on foods with a high glycemic index (high in sugar) and high in oxalates – which cause free radicals to damage your body (too much spinach could do that to you, for example). So in conclusion, I’d say read read read, be skeptic and experiment, but also exercise and drink a lot of water (with lemon). It’s also important to detox your body.

I wish you the very best of luck on this journey and hope that you too will know what it’s like to not be in pain and enjoy a fruitful life with those you love!

Greetings from a 21 year old currently in The Netherlands (don’t let my age fool you!)

Also I’d like to add to the above post. In now way do I condemn anyone’s way of eating! I just think generally people in the States seem scared of fat! Without distinguishing between good and bad. And once they know what’s good fat I think they still consume too little! Don’t go by guidelines of the EU or the FDA. Mark Sisson could explain to you why with a study he has done.

wonderful! I love to read all the comments and ideas that you kindly provided. I live in Paraguay, Southamerica, and here in my country I don’t have so much information about our decease but this webpage helps me so much..thanks Adam! also, I wanted to point, fruits in excess are not good for me..no more than two per day, could you tell me why do you think apple juice is not good? I never thought about it and may be you are right. Also, som vegs like lettuces, tomatoes, broccolis and onions, in excess, or daily, are really bad for me…big hug for all of you guys and I wish you the best in the long battle that we all fight. I was diagnosed UC at my 12 years old. Now I am 52 and still figthing, lots of crisis through my life, many hospitalizations, yearly colonoscopy and mesalamine is my medicine, prednisone, when needed. No surgery yet but you never know.

Hi Kyle. Thank you for sharing your journal, and thanks you Adam for making this forum available. I am fairly new to the site but not new to UC. Diagnosed several years back with acid reflex then GERD then UC then a morph into pan-ulcerative colitis post an emergency transfusion and still having GERD – I almost died. I was a wreck. When medical professionals see pics of my colon and the colitis they usually say “wow, you still have your colon?!?” To their surprise the answer is yes. After being on several first line prescriptions and trying a few immunosuppresents I was not responding. In fact, the immunosuppressants made me deathly ill again having fever at or above 103-105 for 5 days straight. As for Nexium, it did nothing for me other can become an additional precursor to osteopenia. But that’s a whole entire other story.

For me, lean protein and lots of it are critical. Plus I supplement with iron periodically as needed when I am bleeding. I also take a good multi, high B complex, good probiotic, fish oil, glucosamine/chondroitin/msm, calcium, boron, vit C, D and probabaly a few others. Pure apple juice, though it tastes great, usually irritates my gut because of the enzymes. I am wheat gluten and dairy free out of necessity and have been for many years. I do eat some cleaner carbohydrates as I work out. Carbohydrates are essential to me for focus, energy, and recovery of muscle. I limit my intake. I steer clear of anything artificial or over-processed. I even enjoy a GFDF chocolate cookie or two or three at night, because I gotta live even with UC. :-)

To get to my point in response to this post – I’ve tried many diet tweaks and twists. Diet is very personal and unique. What works for one person may not be the best fit for another and may even wreak havoc. Currently I am doing my own twist on SCD and others. The common theme for me, however, is the low fat, lean proteins, reasonable carbs, green leafy veggies, gluten free and dairy free. I am writing this while chomping on some organic raw pumpkins. Mmmmm bad for some, but mmmm good to me. Everything in moderation has always been very wise advice – advice I try to live by myself each day.

Best in your recovery and searching on what works for you! Hope you are able to stay of the pred too if possible. That’s seriously nasty stuff even though it helped save my life in the worst of times.

Your diet looks good! Thanks for sharing! I too have a possible Crohn’s diagnosis.
I have been hugely successful with diet, thanks to Adam and my nutritionist! I totally agree with Adam’s suggestions and just want to emphasize the sauerkraut. Fermented foods like sauerkraut and miso with every meal (out of the gate) finally put me onto a path of remission. I highly recommend adding fermented foods to your diets. I am now 7 months in remission after a very serious flare up and 8 months off the pred. I still take Lialda (but probably not needed) and that’s it. My diet changes changed my life with UC/Crohn’s. Wishing you the best, Toni

I have just started eating sauerkraut (as it takes a while to make at home : ) ) but you said you ate it with every meal. How much are you eating? I started with 1/2 cup, should I be doing more? Less? Your thoughts?

When I am having an attack, I cannot go near fruit or vegetables. Those alone can cause an attack because of the fiber. I wouldn’t eat eggs either when having an attack. I limit myself to very few foods, no grease, no fiber, or very little. When I am stronger intestinally speaking, I begin to slowly add fruits and vegetables back in to my diet.

Hi Kyle,
My daughter has tried lots of dietary changes for her management of Colitis and we found that Eggs and AppleJuice just didn’t work for her. She had constant cramping!! We have actually brought wheat (sourdough only) and oats back into her diet, as well as raw sugar, BUT eliminated raw vegetables, eggs, and most fruits. She does fine with golden delicious apple (peeled), banana, mango, and small bits of watermelon. We bake again using gluten free products (brown rice, sorghum, cashew, GF oat flours) and substitute egg for homemade SCD yogurt. One egg is 1/4 cup yogurt.

Everyone’s journey is different, but you have definitely already made a good start by evaluating how food affects your health. All the Best to YOU! Anne

One thing that corssed my mind is considering looking at FODMAPS as well and avoiding those foods. It’s pretty well endorse diet from Monash University in Melbourne and Sue Sheppard has written a lot about it. There are quite a few books and apps you can get.

Basically some of the foods they suggest you avoid which have indigestible sugars which feremnt in the smal intestine, two of the biggest culprits are Onions and Garlic. Apples are alos a no go. If you do a search on the internet thre are plenty of lists on FODMAP safe and non safe food. I have had massvie improvements taking Onion adn Garlic out of my diet. For flavour there are alternnatives for example you can use the green part of Chives.

I recently had such severe cramping that I nearly went to the ER because I couldn’t handle it anymore. I got a CT scan and they said they saw severe inflammation in my colon. So I’m guessing that was the cause of my cramping and maybe yours too. While it is obvious that diet helps a bunch of people, including you- it might be a different change beside diet that you need to help with the inflammation? Not sure if you tried all the western meds or if you even want to, but maybe they could help? If you google natural anti inflammatories there is a huge list, you can try some of those- like aloe or curcumin. For me it turned out I had cdiff and the antibiotics have definitely been helping with the cramping though I’m also on remicade and 6mp. The scd didn’t work for me. Good luck!
Kristen

Hi Kyle and all.
found an epic homemade weight gainer people seemed to not mention which will throw in nearly 1000 calories for breakfast.
3 eggs, two ripe bananas, 1 avocado, 300ml of water with a spoonful of coconut flour. Blender away.
in on no meds because i nearly had seizures on them. Started on 6grams of mesalsine.
had to go cold turkey in April. My colitis was considered extremely severe and had 90% inflamation. Was supposed to have surgery…. I think not hehe.
diet didn’t fix it but got my life back.

im almost in complete remission after doing five fmt at home. Started last Sunday, now go to the loo three times a day instead of twelve.

if you want more weight on you need to make the almond bread. Doesn’t have to be organic for me. Ive regained three kilos in 8 weeks.

Hi Kyle, the SCD diet is good but take a look at the low FODMAP diet and eliminate some of the high fodmap foods in your diet. Apples, apple juice, onions, and garlic. Some foods just cause problems no matter which diet they come from. Like eggs, nuts, bananas and milk. I have added more extra virgin olive oil to my diet, maybe 1 tablespoons 3 times a day. I think it reduces inflammation. You may find that cutting way back on the fruit and fruit juice alone will help a lot with cramping. Good luck!
Mary

Hi Kyle, I am new on the diet and things better but not perfect. I have took out fruit and fruit juice but left a banana in for breakfast. I will see after a couple of weeks if this helps as I read that some people have FS (Fructose Malabsorption). Take one item or category out at a time or you will feel your foods contracting too much.

p.s I had diagnosis of crohns then ulcerative colitis – its confusing!

I think diet is very important. Drink a lot of water with lemon. Don’t eat more then 4 eggs per week- recommend for everybody. Eat soups every day – easy to digest. A lot of fruits and vegetables specially avocado everyday and wild berries. Flax seed oil 2 spoon per day or flax seed boiled half glass per day. Try to avoid fried food. I do this and I’m getting better.

Hi kyle, those meals look so good!! Eggs are a food I recently gave up after eating at least 1-2 a day and i miss them. You might want to try not eating the broccoli and onion for a while. Also, try adding peppermint tea! Its really helpful with the cramping. You could also try ginger or chamomile tea. Hope that helps :)
Happy 5th anniversary Adam! Thats so amazing.

I totally agree with Adam! I question the low dose of probiotic. I am on RAw probiotic and 100 billion maintanence dose. I do believe recommended dosage is 100-600 billion. If you increase it go slow. I honestly was shocked to see you are only on 10 billion.

Hello Everyone, I have learned a lot today. I am not alone with UC and flares and white food being my friends. I am trying no fresh fruit and veggies right now. Sure gets old white rice, white bread and white chicken for as long as I can remember. I added an avocado and it was great. I tried a slice of tomato and that sent me to bed. My Gastro said to add one thing a week. Water helps me when I cramp and can’t get out of bed. I wish everyone luck.

Hello everyone, I was excited to read this research by the University of Massachusetts Medical School on ‘An anti-inflammatory diet as treatment for inflammatory bowel disease: a case series report’. The anti-inflammatory diet is similar to the SCD. Luckily they have published the full report online: http://www.nutritionj.com/content/13/1/5

I have recently started taking VSL#3 probiotic which has 450 billion good bacteria per sachet (I live in London so it is easy to order online and get it delivered in a cool box). I find this research report on the positive effects of VSL#3 for patients with UC a source of hope too: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15984978
I can’t believe they used 3600 billion good bacteria a day!

I agree with the comments above. I have been following a strict diet for 19 months and still steer clear of apples. I now have a maximum of 2 portions of fruit a day and try to stick to berries. I only eat fruit on an empty stomach (2 hours after eating a meal) – I was getting uncomfortably bloated before I started doing this.

I see a naturopath monthly which I find an invaluable support. She is able to test my intollerances and advise me on what to avoid (my intollerances have reduced as I have progressed with the diet). I have always been surprised at how long I need to wait to introduce things for example I didn’t eat nuts or eggs for the first 12 months.

After 19 months my inflammation has reduced greatly but I still get flare ups. I still believe this is the route to the cure and that I will get there eventually. I view the diet as a permanent lifestyle change and now that I have made this transition I can’t go back on it – the more I read the more I believe in it!

Aiden’s comment about the acidity is spot on. When you have that much inflammation, you need to let your system rest. That means cooking things so it isn’t a lot of work for your system to break them down. In a word, SOUP. Also, stay away from nightshades for a while. They can be irritating, but they are far easier on your system when they are well cooked and turned into a sugar.

Consider asking your doctor to prescribe low dose naltrexone. It is a life-saver for autoimmune sufferers. Search on it to find out more. Thanks to that, a couple months of well-cooked soups and smoothies, and a paleo diet, I went from a 95% diseased colon to disease free in 2 years.

Guys! You all are so incredibly amazing! Wow. I am blown away by the response I received from all of you. Thank you so very much. I am going to start with Adam’s recommendations and work my way down the list. You can be sure I will be keeping you all updated with blog posts on how things are going. Thanks again! I know with support like this I will gain remission and removal of the crampy cramps! You all are the best.

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Thank you"
Vernique
Maryland USA
"I enjoyed the book and I feel like it adds to my list of all the data I am collecting to formulate the best plan to attack this Colitis situation . It's one more step forward, and the book and the feedback with the follow up on emails has lead me into new paths that I would not have found elsewhere, so I am appreciative of this.
Thanks"
S. Griffiths
Belleville Ontario Canada
"My husband was diagnosed about 2 1/2 years ago and has been in a constant flareup since. None of the medicines worked, we weren't getting any help from the doctors, etc. Your book gave me insight into how he was feeling and helped me to understand more what he is going though. Thank you!
and - I love how witty and honest you are about things! I laughed out loud several times... this book is great!"
Anonymous
Western New York USA

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